The Cotes du Rhone region is a great source for delicious red wines that are moderately priced but packed with flavor and character.
This could prove very surprising to anyone who judged the area merely by its size and structure. That makes it look more like a sea of mediocrity than a wellspring of excellent wines.
The region spreads across a vast area in southeastern France. Growers are entitled to use the basic Cotes du Rhone appellation in no fewer than 171 villages spread over a zone measuring roughly 60 miles long and up to 30 miles wide. More than 100,000 acres are planted with vines tended by 6,000 growers, many of whom sell their grapes for processing by cooperatives or large negotiant companies that generally compose blends from wines bought in bulk.
However, most of the Cotes du Rhone wines that actually make it to store shelves in our area are very strong performers for quality, consistency and value. This is explained in part by the fact that the region's long-established vineyards have a high proportion of old, low-yielding vines. Low yields are especially important for deriving substantial juice from grenache, which is the area's main grape.
Grenache produces insipid wines when treated as a cash cow. However, it can make profound ones when producers stress quality over quantity, accepting fewer grapes from their vineyards to get those with greater concentration and flavor impact. When reasonable quantities of wine are not assured by vine maturity alone, French wine law steps in, restricting yields for vintners who wish to bottle their wines as Cotes du Rhone to less than half of what growers in California's Central Valley generally draw from grenache vines.
The stature of Cotes du Rhone has also been heightened by the creation of the more exalted appellation of Cotes du Rhone Villages, which is reserved for prime growing areas comprising more than 13 percent of the region's acreage. In addition to the 95 villages at this level, 16 villages holding another 7 percent are accorded the still-higher honor of indicating their municipal names on the labels. The most widely known of these include Rasteau, Cairanne and Beaumes de Venise.
These two levels of exaltation carry consequences for growers, who are obliged to crop their vines at even lower levels and use higher proportions of top-quality grapes (meaning grenache, syrah and mourvedre) and limited proportions of lesser ones such as cinsault or carignan.
Cotes du Rhone Villages wines and bottlings bearing village names generally cost more than straight Cotes du Rhone and are typically more concentrated and serious. However, the vast majority of low-level Cotes du Rhone is sold in European supermarkets rather than exported to countries such as the United States. American importers know that only the best bottles can compete here against the likes of Australian shiraz, and their selectivity serves as an effective filter. Consequently, it would be a serious mistake to dismiss bottlings available here that bear the simple Cotes du Rhone appellation.
My recent tastings turned up an impressively high percentage of outstanding or very good wines, including a bunch of delicious straight Cotes du Rhones. As a group, most of the wines recommended here are a little lighter than the typical Aussie shirazes against which they compete most directly. Yet they are actually more versatile with food as a result, pairing not only with red meats but also white meats like pork or veal, while also working well with duck or roast chicken. And in terms of aromatic and flavor complexity, Cotes du Rhone reds are usually far more nuanced and interesting than comparably priced Aussie shiraz or California syrah.
Given the recent decline of the dollar against the euro, prices remain surprisingly attractive even for the recently arrived 2003s. You may recall that 2003 was a famously hot year in France. And the heat that killed more than 10,000 in France also produced awkward, over-ripe wines in many regions. These include some appellations within the Rhone region, such as Cornas, where many bottlings seem stewed and raisiny. Yet 2003 is a great vintage for Cotes du Rhone, and since prices are sure to escalate in the near future, this is a good time to buy. Top performers are listed below in order of preference, with approximate prices and importers listed in parentheses:
OUTSTANDING
Andre Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau "Les Sambiches" 2000 ($15, Robert Kacher): Meaty and robust, with intricate aromas and flavors at a perfect stage of maturity.
Domaine de Durban Cotes du Rhone Villages Beaumes de Venise "Cuvee Prestige" 2000 ($16, Kermit Lynch): Wonderfully complex aromas and deeply fruity flavors make this a dead ringer for a top Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Domaine Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages 2003 ($14, Hand Picked Selections): Deeply colored and richly endowed with intense but balanced flavors.
